The Venue for C&B

The Salish (where C&B will take place) offers very pleasant lodge-like meeting facilities that are conducive to the not-really-a-conference experience we want to foster. (See my previous post for more on that.)

It has a wonderful setting, with outdoor recreational opportunities literally steps from the front door.

Guest rooms are much nicer than those of typical business hotels; a full set of spa facilities is available; and you can bring your dog (but probably not to the spa).

The Salish isn’t just where C&B will take place, it actually enhances the C&B experience. That’s why we chose it.

For details, read on.

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In my last post, I mentioned that Herb, Andrei, and I were looking to organize something different from a standard technical conference, and one of the things we wanted to be different was where it was held. Convention centers and traditional business hotels don’t readily kindle the kind of feeling we’d like C&B to have. I was hoping to find an “outdoorsy” venue that would let us take advantage of the attractive scenery of the Pacific Northwest. The kind of place I had in mind was Timberline Lodge, but that’s near Portland, Oregon, and we’d already decided to hold the event in the greater Seattle area.

The Salish is perched at the top of Snoqualmie Falls.

Herb suggested The Salish. Located in Snoqualmie, Washington, The Salish is close enough to Seattle to be convenient, but distant enough to be “away.” Those looking for a great view can exit The Salish and walk to the viewpoint for adjacent Snoqualmie Falls, which is bigger, louder, and more impressive than you expect. Those wanting a bit more exertion can walk to the base of the falls (easy) and back (less so). Runners, hikers, and bikers looking to burn serious calories can make their way to the nearby Snoqualmie Valley Regional Trail, which runs for 29 miles. All this means that The Salish is a good spot for getting outside, if getting outside is what you want to do. That’s important, because, as I explained in my last post, time for a mid-day activity is built into the C&B schedule.

Speaking of outside, our evening sessions will be held in the Falls Terrace room, which, as its name suggests, features an outdoor terrace directly above the falls. (You can’t see the falls from there, but you can certainly hear them!)

The Salish is unusually nice from an indoor perspective, too. All the guest rooms have wood-burning fireplaces and two-person whirlpool tubs. Aside from being nice in their own right, this means that if you come to C&B with a companion who will not be doing the technical geek-out thing, they’ll have a very pleasant place to hang out while you’re ignoring them. Your dog can hang out there, too, because The Salish is so dog friendly, it has room service for them. (If you’re thinking of bringing your dog, be sure to check out the hotel’s pet policy, and be sure also to note the $50 fee for having a dog with you.)

The Salish’s official name is the Salish Lodge & Spa, and while I can’t offer any insights into the spa based on personal experience, I’m told it’s a very good one (and not just by the hotel’s marketing people). For more information, consult the spa’s page.

From a meeting perspective, The Salish has pretty much what you’d expect, except, assuming you like the lodge look (e.g., lots of wood), it looks better. Technical sessions will take place in the Ballroom, which, because it’s on a floor by itself, offers more privacy than usual. For meals, we’ll have the Attic to ourselves, and, as I mentioned above, in the evenings we’ll be in the Falls Terrace room. That room, in addition to the terrace, has a wood-burning fireplace, which will be especially nice if the weather doesn’t cooperate.

It should go without saying, but just to reassure you, there’s high-speed wireless Internet access throughout the building. There’s normally a fee for that, but for C&B attendees, the fee is being waived.

We think The Salish isn’t just a nice place to stay, it’s a great venue for what we hope will be an outstanding “C&B experience.”